16 November 2015

Primary school children are invited to give history a re-write with a new schools writing competition about those who dwelled in the dark and dingy cells of York Castle Prison.

York Castle Museum sits on the site of York Castle Prison, where men and women awaited their fate; release, transportation or death.

The powerful, moving and gruesome tales of those imprisoned here are told in the museum’s authentic cells, including that of the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin.

Now, primary school children can win a workshop for their school and a day working with a storyteller by spinning their own tale of what went on behind bolted doors between 1705 and 1900, looking at the daily life of inmates or workers; who were they sending those letters to? What were they plotting? Your story could even give an alternative version to Dick Turpin’s demise, just as you would in our schools workshop.

Sarah Mortimer, assistant curator of social history formal learning, said:

“Dick Turpin is York Castle Museum’s best known inmate and children love to hear the stories of what happened in the prison cells.

This competition links well with the National Curriculum History but also allows school children use their imagination and have fun re-writing history!”

The closing date November 27th so pick up an information pack now by emailing schoolcompetitions@ymt.org.uk.

This competition links directly to the National Curriculum with the theme of Crime and Punishment when you study “an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066.”

The winning school will receive a free workshop at York Castle Museum plus a day for your class working in your school with storyteller Mary Passeri.

Click here to download the pdf flyer